DEMS DO WELL IN SENATE POLLS

Surveys of voters in three key states show the Republican candidates in trouble.

Democrats are slightly ahead of Republicans in three election battleground states that will help determine control of the Senate, a series of polls released today found.

In Montana, Democrat Jon Tester had the support of 47 percent of registered voters polled, while incumbent Republican Sen. Conrad Burns had the support of 40 percent. In Ohio, Democrat Rep. Sherrod Brown had 45 percent of registered voters polled, while incumbent Republican Sen. Mike DeWine had 43 percent. In Tennessee, Democratic Rep. Harold Ford Jr. had 43 percent of those polled, and former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker, the Republican Senate nominee, had 42 percent.

Democrats probably must win all three races if they're to take back control of the Senate on Nov. 7. They need to gain six seats overall, and these three are among the six seats held by Republicans considered most vulnerable.

Another Republican incumbent, Sen. George Allen of Virginia, was locked in a 43-43 percent dead heat with Democratic challenger James Webb, according to a poll released Friday by McClatchy Newspapers and MSNBC.

The surveys underscored how much these states are up for grabs and how much rides on the final five weeks of campaigning. The work of both parties to get their supporters to turn out could prove decisive.

One in 10 voters remain undecided in Montana and Ohio, 12 percent in Virginia and 14 percent in Tennessee.

The polls were all conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. for newspapers in each of the states -- the Lee Newspapers in Montana, the Cleveland Plain Dealer in Ohio, and the Memphis Commercial Appeal and Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. Each state poll was of 625 registered voters and had an error margin of plus or minus four percentage points. The polls were taken between Monday and Thursday.

Mason-Dixon conducted a broader series of polls for McClatchy Newspapers and MSNBC in seven other closely fought Senate battleground states.

Virginia results were released Friday. The six others will be released Monday.

In Tennessee, Mason-Dixon found the contest close in the fight for the Republican-held seat being vacated by Sen. Bill Frist, the majority leader who's retiring to run for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.

Ford is running as a tough-minded moderate in a state that has trended Republican and did not even support its former Sen. Al Gore when he was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2000.

Ford supports the death penalty, voted for the Patriot Act and aired one ad featuring him in the church where he was baptized. The congressman led among women 47-38 percent and among Democrats 88-4 percent.

He also led among his fellow blacks 91-3 percent.

If he were to win the election, he'd be the first popularly elected black U.S. senator from the South. *